So my wife and I just got back from Clearwater Beach Florida for some fun in the sun with our dog Jazz. And lo and behold, on our last day there I stumbled upon something that I think can help you get more business – even in a market as "challenging" as this.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

It started off with lunch at a place called Bob Evans, which, if you haven't been there before, is absolutely terrific. (Think down home southern cooking that would make your Grandmother proud … if she was from the south of course.)

Anyway, the meal was so good that we decided to put in another order for the family style Italian pasta, that way we could eat it on the drive home and not have to stop for food.

Well, that sounded simple enough, until when unloading the food at the hotel an entire carton of pasta fell smack dab on the kitchen floor, and spilled little fettuccini balls all over the place.

"No problem," I thought, "Why don't we just give them a call and get another order of pasta?"

Now, for those of you familiar with "customer service" here in the United States, my call to the Bob Evans restaurant could have literally gone anywhere.

But much to my amazement I talked to exactly two people, both of whom sounded sincerely sorry about our predicament. And one (the manager), offered to have me come right over and pick up a fresh batch of pasta.

Needless to say I was shocked when I hung up the phone, and it got me thinking about a question you need to be asking yourself – that when done correctly – really can have an impact on getting more business.

It's simply this: "In a down real estate market – where everyone is fighting for every prospect – how easy is it to do business with you?"

In other words, how easy is it for clients to work with you when they decide to buy or sell a home with you?

How easy is it for prospects to find you online?

How easy is it for well meaning friends and colleagues to pass along referrals?

In a word: Are you easy to do business with?

Naturally most people would like to think yes, but based on my experience, I'd beg to differ. Most Agents, by and large, really aren't that easy to do business with.

And before I get a bunch of emails saying how crazy I am, hear me out.

Most Agents are hard to find online, if they even have a website.

Most Agents don't pick up the phone before 9am, and when you do get them, they always sound like they're in the middle of something and need to "call you back".

Some Agents don't return their voicemails in a timely fashion.

You see, in an economy as tough as this, you need to do everything you legally can to stand out from the crowd. And part of that means being "easier" to do business with.

So what does that mean for a hardworking Realtor® like yourself?

Well, let's start off by returning all of our voicemails in a timely fashion.

Now I know, things can get real busy during the week, and I for one have a hard time with this too. But I can't tell you how many times I've left messages for people – even going as far as saying, "I'd like to do business with you" – and not gotten a return phone call.

Unacceptable.

I think a 24hr turnaround time is perfectly fine, and I'm even ok with 48hrs as long as it's consistent. But when people leave a message, it has to be returned.

Once you get that in place, now we can talk about referrals.

Just about every Realtor® tells me that a majority of their business comes from referrals, yet outside of going to an occasional networking event, I don't see what they're doing to make themselves easily "referable".

Again, in this tough market, that's an absolute killer for your business.

So let's try starting an online newsletter that answers some frequently asked questions which are relevant to your target market, be it first time homebuyers, investment property buyers or whatever.

We use Constant Contact as our online newsletter distribution, and have found it to be very good.

Another way to make getting referrals easier is creating an online presence, either with a complete website or just putting up a couple of pages through your Brokers site.

What's the first thing 95% of all Americans do when they're researching a new person to potentially do business with? You guessed it, look them up online.

Which is why having some type of presence will make you infinitely easier to refer business to.

The bottom line is times are tough, and if you want to get through this thing in one piece, you have to make yourself easier to do business with. Otherwise, prospects are just going to walk away.

If you'd like some more ideas on how you can get more business in today's tough market, just email info@agitoconsulting (Subject: Today's Tough Market), and we'll be sure to send out our free report right away.

But in the meantime, keep asking yourself, "How easy am I to do business with?"

And see if it doesn't lead to something greater down the road.